TV Drama: Representations

Media Representations: how the media portray events, issues, individuals and social groups.

When approaching representation in Cuffs and The Avengers, you need to be able to 

identify how different events, issues, individuals and social groups are being shown to 

the audience. This is known as the context.

You already do this in English Literature. For example, you have studied An Inspector Calls where you need to understand about the perspective of the writer and audience as well as something about the history of 1912 (when the play is set) and 1945 

(when the play was written).

Cuffs is a modern TV Crime Drama and as such it represents ideas about current events, 

modern issues and up-to-date social groups and individuals. It is relevant to a viewer who

knows what it is like living in Britain in 2018.

The Avengers is an old fashioned TV Crime Drama representing the ideas in 1960s Britain, 

the issues and events that were happening at that time and the people and social groups

who lived then. 

TASK: Copy these definitions of different contexts on to a Word document.

1. Social Context – how media products reflect the society in which they are produced and that of their target audience.
2. Cultural Context – how media products reflect the arts and culture, including popular culture, of their time.
3. Historical Context – how media products reflect historical events and social changes.
4. Political Context – how media products reflect political viewpoints, messages, values and beliefs.

Cuffs: Episode One

Task: With reference to episode 1 of Cuffs you need to make notes on all the following:

1. Events that take place in the episode (what are they?)
2. Issues that the episode deals with (first decide what they are)
3. How individuals are represented (first identify what individuals are represented)
4. How social groups are represented (again, first identify what social groups the episode identifies)

Task: Answer this question, using your notes from today's lesson.

How do you think Cuffs represents Britain in 2018? Refer to the four different contexts you have looked at in today's lesson.